


Prom with the Real Dynamic Duo

by LiteraryFaerie



Category: Batgirl (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Robin (Comics)
Genre: F/M, I apologize for my awkard writing I tried, I just wanted an excuse to write Dick and Babs being cute together okay, I'm new at this and I still don't really know what I'm doing, It's mostly just a lot of banter, There's dancing too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 07:56:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14015760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiteraryFaerie/pseuds/LiteraryFaerie
Summary: When she was a high school student, Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl, asked Dick Grayson, her crush and occasional-partner-in-crime-fighting as Robin, to prom. Adorableness ensued.





	Prom with the Real Dynamic Duo

**Author's Note:**

> I once came across the piece of information that Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson had attended prom together (and that Comissioner Gordon drove them there himself because of course he would) in a random comic. Being the complete and utter dickbabs trash that I am, decided to write a fanfic about it. I tried my best with all of the characters' dialogue and characterization, I hope it rings true. I kind of completely ignored and/or muddled canon to my whim for this story (whoops), but my main comic book inspirations in terms of characterization are Batgirl Year One and Batgirl of Burnside.

# Prom with the Real Dynamic Duo

The man’s fist seemed to appear out of nowhere, barreling towards Barbara’s face with all the speed and force of an oncoming missile. She threw herself to the side at the last moment, reflexes that had been acquired over years of dojo practice and honed by Gotham’s streets kicking in as she pivoted out of reach. Where the hell had he come from? She had only counted six crooks. 

_Getting sloppy Babs_ she thought to herself as she charged forward to meet her surprise assailant, throwing herself to the ground at the last moment and kicking outwards, sweeping the man’s legs out from underneath him. He crumpled to the ground, groaning, but Barbara had no time to celebrate to her victory, instead leaping to avoid a spray of bullets. Two new criminals had entered the scene, armed with guns, and firing with an indiscriminate, hit-anything-that-moves approach. She somersaulted through the air, moving in an elaborate dance to avoid her opponents’ fire. _Got to keep a clear head, stay focused_ Barbara reminded herself, hoping that maybe if she repeated the advice often enough her brain would actually start to follow it. 

She threw a batarang at one of the criminals, knocking his gun from his hand, and spent him toppling with a swift kick to the jaw. She was turning, ready to face the final crook, when she heard a clicking sound and felt something cool and metal pressed to the back of her head. _Crap._ Barbara froze, not daring to make a move. Out of the corner of her peripheral vision, she could just make out the man’s face, grinning at her down the barrel of his gun. “Never thought I’d get the honor of taking out one of you bats myself.” He chuckled. 

This was bad, very bad, but Barbara had faced far, far worse. She adjusted her stance ever so slightly, readying herself to grab the man’s wrist with one arm and drive her elbow into his gut with the other. It would be quick, so quick that he would be disarmed and down for the count before he even had time to fire. She would be fine. Probably.

But just as she was about to move, a familiar pair of green boots connected with the criminal’s forehead, sending him crashing to the ground. “Need a hand?” Dick was smiling that smile that was equal parts adorable and irreverant, the one that, in spite of her better judgement, always made Barbara’s heart skip a little.

Of course, he had chosen now to show up, now when she was at her worst, winded from a fight that should have taken her half the time it did to win. Of course. 

“Thanks Boy Wonder. I had that though.” 

Dick nodded. “Of course you did, I was just saving you the effort of taking that goon down. What’s the deal with these guys anyway?” He nudged the nearest unconscious criminal with one boot toe.

“Hired muscle, here to protect those shipments of illegal weapons.” Barbara cocked her head to a nearby stack of crates. “I’m pretty sure they’re working with  
Penguin, but it could be Bressi or one of the other bosses. We’ll need to follow up with them to find out.” 

“Well I’m sure our friend with the pointy ears won’t have any trouble getting the truth out of them.” 

Barbara couldn’t help but smile a little at that. She had yet to meet a thug who didn’t cave after just a few minutes with the Batman. 

“So why did you text me then?” Dick asked, his features puzzled. “It looks like you have everything under control here.” 

They were here already. Barbara had known this moment was coming, had planned for it ever since she hit “Send” on that text asking Dick to meet her here at the docks, and yet, now that Dick was standing here in front of her, black hair slightly mussed from the wind, blue eyes still sparkling with the thrill of a fight, she felt completely unprepared.

Barbara was seized by a desire to just go back to being held at gunpoint. That had honestly been far less terrifying than the conversation she was about to initiate.  
“Well actually… I uh, wanted to ask you something Boy Wonder?” She trailed off hesitantly, feeling her cheeks flush. 

“Sure, what is it?” Dick was grinning obliviously, as at ease as ever. 

“Somewhere private?” Barbara motioned toward the criminals living strewn across the ground in various states of consciousness. 

Dick raised his eyebrows (or at least Barbara was pretty certain he had, she couldn’t actually see his eyebrows beneath his mask) and Barbara found herself blushing again. This was already going just about as well as she had expected to. 

“No problem.” He said, and Barbara breathed out a tiny sigh of relief. “How about that warehouse roof?” 

Barbara nodded empathetically, and they scaled the warehouse wall together in silence. Barbara had become pretty decent at scrabbling up the sides of buildings, but she still had nothing on Dick though, who had spent more time off the ground the on it ever since he was a small child and who was already waiting for her when she hauled herself onto the rooftop.

“Show-off” She panted. 

Dick grinned. “Sore-loser is more like it. So what did you want to ask me?” 

Oh, that. Well, she couldn’t put it off any longer, now was the time to do it, before she lost her nerve. 

“Well… I just, I know that we’ve never really talked about the two of us, but… I like you okay? I like you a lot, Dick Grayson. Even if we do bicker at times. And I was wondering if…” Barbara trailed off lamely, unable to finish. She glanced at Dick, whose usual cheerful impertinence had dropped away to be replaced by something much kinder. 

He cleared his throat awkwardly “If…?” His voice shook a little, and… wait, was that a hint of pink peeking out from the corner of his mask? Barbara couldn’t believe it, he was almost as flustered as she was. That little miracle gave her just enough courage to finally blurt out the question which had been rattling around her mind all day. 

“I was wondering if you wanted to go to prom with me?”

♥

Barbara couldn’t remember just exactly when she had started seriously considering asking Dick to prom. The idea had started out as her own personal joke, a sort of mental aside that she made whenever her friends started to discuss who they were going with. After all, how could she ever explain her relationship with Dick to her friends, who all had steady boyfriends or girlfriends, or at least ordinary crushes? It was especially difficult since Barbara _herself_ still wasn’t sure what she and Dick really were to each other.

When she first met Robin, Barbara’s first impression hadn’t exactly been favorable: a wise-cracking kid in green pixie boots and a speedo who had an infuriating tendency of always saying just the right thing to make her as flustered as possible. But, the more time she spent with Dick, the more Barbara began to see the kind, slightly sad young man beneath all his jokes and flirtation, and had genuinely grown to enjoy his company. They had forged a powerful bond as they fought together with Batman over the past year, had braved criminals and monsters and madmen side-by-side, taken bruises and bullets for one another.  
In spite of all that they had shared, in spite of the fact that they saw each other almost every night out on patrol, Dick and Barbara had never officially dated, unless one were to count post-mission takeout from the twenty-four-hour Chinese place near GPDC as a date. There had been a few kisses, but those had been snatched in the adrenaline-filled moments between fights on rooftops and in alleyways, moments that neither of them had every really acknowledged, and Barbara still wasn’t sure how much they counted for. And yet, she couldn’t help but look forward to every night she spent trading quips with Dick as they raced across the Gotham skyline.

But then somewhere in the middle of her elaborate mental gag where Alfred drove them to the dance and Bruce picked them up afterwards in the Batmobile, Barbara had stopped joking. There was no one in her high school that she would even consider asking, after all, and when she tried to bring to mind a list of potential dates, Dick was the only one whose name ever appeared. The two of them might not have ever really spent time together outside of their crime-fighting career, but that didn’t necessarily mean that they _shouldn’t._

Barbara had always envied the way Dick seemed to move so effortlessly between his dual lives as Dick Grayson and Robin. There was no distinction between the two, no trade-off of one for the other. Barbara had no idea how he managed it, she knew he certainly hadn’t learned from Bruce. She always felt torn between the responsibilities of being Batgirl and the responsibilities of being Barabara Gordon, and, as she reflected on the friends and family who grown up and apart over this past year while she trained and protected her city, knew which ones she had neglected. 

Barbara didn’t want to live her life caught between two separate worlds anymore, and part of that meant figuring out what she and Dick meant to one another as Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson, not just as Batgirl and Robin.

♥

“Of course I would!” Dick had appeared slightly shocked by her question, taking so long to respond that Barbara nearly missed the fact that his answer was positive.

“Wait… you would?” Barbara blurted out, unable to conceal her surprise. 

Dick laughed a little. “Well, I mean, I sort of like you too, Barbara Gordon. I thought you had noticed that by now.” 

Barbara frowned, crossing her arms in front of her chest, and glancing sideways at Dick. “I’ve always thought you might like me, but I was never really sure.”

Dick seemed taken aback. “Never sure… Babs I spend 90% of the time we’re together flirting with you.”

Barbara rolled her eyes. “Yes, but you flirt with anything that _moves_ , Boy Wonder.”

“First of all, that is complete hyperbole, second of all, we’ve also kissed, multiple times, or have you forgotten?” 

“You mean _you_ kissed me, on the first mission we went out on together. I was so surprised that I almost fell off my bat-bike.” 

Dick grinned, and Barbara kind of wanted to kiss him again. Only kind of. “What can I say? You were laughing. You’re really cute when you laugh. But, come on, you know that wasn’t the only time. You’ve kissed _me_ as well.”

“Well those were… well, I wasn’t really thinking.” Barbara’s tone was huffy, but she couldn’t keep the corners of her mouth from twitching a little. 

“Sooo” Dick began, “Now that we’ve clearly established that we both like each other, can we talk about this prom thing? Because I really would love to go with you.”  
Barbara nodded, “I can text you the details. It’s nothing special really- just a dance in the ballroom of one of those big hotels downtown.”

“That sounds _wonderful._ ” He grinned sideways at Barabara “You know I’d be the coolest guy in my school if people knew a junior girl had asked me to prom.”

Barbara glared at him. “Breathe one word about this to any of your little friends, Boy Wonder, and I’ll tell Bruce about the time you crashed the Batmobile while doing 80 down an alleyway.”

Dick’s grinned faded. “Well, seeing as I’d prefer not to spend the next decade of my life grounded, I guess my amazing prom date will just have to stay secret.” 

Barbara smirked “That’s the spirit.”

“What do _your_ friends know about this?”

“Right now, nothing. I wasn’t really sure what to tell them. Honestly, I’ve never told any of my friends about you.”

“Neither have I” Dick confessed “It’s just kind of…”

“Hard to explain?” Barbara finished for him. “I know, but I’m tired of this just being some unspoken, on-again-off-again thing. I want to see if we can make it work in real life too.” 

She hadn’t meant to say that, to speak so honestly. But she was tired of dancing around her feelings for Dick. He had said that they he reciprocated them, so maybe now was the time to see if he really meant it.

“So do I.” He agreed, his voice serious. “But I also want you to know that this,” he took her hand suddenly, and Barbara’s heart gave a little involuntary leap, “has always been real to me. Masks or no masks.” 

Barbara was suddenly very conscious of just how close they were standing, of the weight of Dick’s hand wrapped around hers. Judging from the way he was gazing at her, Dick had just come to a similar realization. By some unspoken agreement, they had both begun to lean towards each other, and Barbara realized in a vague, out-of-body sort of way that she really, really wanted to kiss the Boy Wonder. But she couldn’t, not right now.

“Dick…” 

“What?” He drew back, confused.

“Dick, I’m sorry, but we have to go.” Barbara gestured towards the sky, where the bat-signal’s familiar silhouette was visible against the clouds. 

He sighed. “Of course, what great timing.” 

Barbara smiled ruefully. “There’s always something.” 

“You know, we could still kiss. Just a quick one, for luck.” Dick grinned slyly at her.

Barbara shook her head, unable to stop herself from smiling, and pulled her hand free of Dick’s. “Kiss later Boy Wonder, right now we’ve got a city to save.”

♥

“Barbara, are you ready to go yet? We have to leave in fifteen minutes!” Barbara was so startled by her father’s shout that she nearly stabbed herself in the eye with a mascara brush.

“Don’t worry dad, I’ll be ready!” She shouted back. 

Sighing, Barbara stepped back from the mirror, scrutinizing her reflection. Her makeup was passable at best, but she didn’t have any time to improve it, she still had to change. Most of Barbara’s friends had made appointments at salons and beauty stores in the mall to get their hair and makeup done, but she had waved away their invitations to tag along. “There other are things I’d rather spend my meager salary on,” she had explained, “besides, a few hours spent carefully copying YouTube tutorials should be a decent substitute.” 

But Barbara hadn’t accounted for being called away by Dinah on a surprise mission to track down Firefly. She had spent the entirety of last night dodging spurts of flame and didn’t end up home until there was just an hour to go until dawn. She had crept through her bedroom window, yanked off her costume, and then collapsed, bruised and slightly singed, into bed, where she slept through all of her alarms. She didn’t wake until late that afternoon, when, after a moment of bleary confusion, she finally remembered what day it was and threw herself out of bed in a panic. 

Now, Barbara was unable to keep from feeling more than a little stressed as she hastily shoved her makeup supplies back into the respective drawers and rushed out of the bathroom, back down the hallway to her bedroom. She shimmied into her dress-a pretty floor-length green gown with a sweetheart neckline whose bottle-green color matched her eyes perfectly- grateful that a year of having to throw on the Batgirl suit at a moment’s notice had made her a master at quick changes. The only thing left to do was to buckle her heels, ignoring how they pinched and praying that she didn’t have to do any actual dancing in them.

After making a mental checklist to make sure she hadn’t missed anything, Barbara snatched up her purse and ran downstairs, where Jim Gordon was waiting for her. Her poor father, who had probably expected Barbara to be all ready to go and waiting for him when he got home from work and who had instead found her running around the house like a madwoman. 

“Is that really my little girl? You’re growing up too up to fast for me Barbara.” Her father chuckled, and Barbara smiled, even though she really felt like groaning aloud. Her dad really did love her, she knew that. But that didn’t make his tendency to keep treating her like she was a little girl in need of protection long after she had outgrown that role any less frustrating at times. 

“Thanks dad, but you know you really don’t have to do this, right? It would be no trouble at all for Al- I mean, Mr. Wayne’s butler, to drive us.”  
Gordon shook his head. “I want my daughter’s father to drive her to prom, not some rich guy’s servant. And besides, I still have to meet this mystery date of yours for myself.” He shot Barbara a sideways glance, eyes narrowed. 

Barbara felt her cheeks flush. “Really dad? You’ll like Dick, I’m sure you will.” Hopefully she added internally. Unfortunately, Barbara had a sinking a suspicion that any meeting between the Boy Wonder and her dad was destined to end in disaster. Even if Dick was on his best behavior, (which, let’s face it, when was he ever?) his cheerful impudence was sure not to go over well with her gruff, over protective father. 

But of course, of course Jim Gordon insisted on chaperoning his daughter and her date to prom himself in their car, even if it meant he had to take off from work early. Barbara had tried time and time again to talk her dad out of it, but there had been no persuading him, he was far too stubborn to back down once he had made up his mind. Barbara had inherited that same stubbornness herself, and some days she was grateful for it. Other days… well, not so much. 

Gordon didn’t even acknowledge Barbara’s comment, just said “We should get going now, or we’ll be late” and turned to walk out the front door. 

Barbara sighed and shook her head, but she couldn’t help but smile a little as she followed him out of the house. After all, it could be worse. Better for her father to be upset that she was going to prom with the son of a billionaire than to know that she spent her nights rappelling off of rooftops and getting shot at by criminals. 

Barbara slid into the back seat of her father’s car, ignoring the look he sent her way. There was no way that she was going to take shotgun and leave Dick to face him alone. 

She fired off a quick text to Dick just as they were pulling out of the driveway

**On our way.**

Then, after a moment’s hesitation, she added

**Prepare yourself.**

♥

When they pulled up to Wayne Manor, the front gates were already open; Alfred must have been expecting them. They drove up the front walkway in silence, the only audible noise in the car coming from the faint, steady hum of its engine.

What with sleeping in and all of her concerns about her dad, Barbara had almost lost sight of what this night was really about. But now it was coming back to her with all the force of speeding train. She and Dick were going to prom. Together. No masks, no capes, just the two of them. She would be lying to herself if she didn’t admit that the thought set butterflies fluttering in her stomach. 

They turned into the main driveway, where, much to Barbara’s relief, Dick was already waiting for them out on the front porch. Good, now there was no chance of any awkward conversations with Alfred or Bruce. Gordon had parked the car, and was moving to unbuckle his seatbelt. 

“You can wait here dad,” Barbara said quickly “I’ll go get him.”

“But-”

“It’s no problem, really!” Barbara was already halfway out the car door before her father could stop her. Thank god for her lighting quick reflexes. She half-walked, half-jogged up the driveway, waving to Dick as she did so. He waved back, moving to meet her halfway. 

Now that Barbara could see Dick up close, she couldn’t help but flush a little. She had rarely seen him out of his Robin suit, and he looked nice in a tuxedo with his hair freshly combed. Really nice. 

“Hey.” She said, suddenly unable to form words that were more than one syllable in length. 

“Hey.” Dick seemed equally taken aback. “Babs, you look awesome.” He smiled, but it wasn’t his usual cocky grin. This was something much sweeter and shyer. 

“You clean up pretty nice yourself, Boy Wonder.” 

“Oh Alfred deserves all the credit for this. I don’t think I’ll ever know how to tie a bow tie, no matter how charity galas Bruce drags me too.”

Barbara chuckled, her nervousness abating somewhat at the image of a harried Alfred trying to get Dick to sit still long enough to make himself presentable. “Speaking of Bruce, have you told him that we’ll be unavailable tonight? I hope he took it well.”

Dick nodded. “He grumbled something about how ‘the criminals of Gotham don’t plan with teenage hormones in mind’ when I asked him if we could have the night off, but Alfred talked him into it.”

Barbara found herself wondering, not for the first time, what Bruce thought of her and Dick going to prom together. She doubted he had ever attended one himself, it was hard to imagine that the man had even _been_ a teenager at some point. 

She shook her head. “What would we _do_ without Alfred in our lives?”

“We would probably just all die terribly.” Dick’s tone was nonchalant, but Barbara knew he truly meant it. The man really did single-handedly keep all of their dual existences together. 

“Well, I’ll have to thank him for making tonight possible the next time I see him.” 

“Don’t you want to at least wait a little bit before declaring tonight a success? It could be all downhill from here.” Dick said teasingly. 

Barbara just smiled, unwilling to justify that comment with an answer. She leaned closer to Dick, trying to ignore the way her pulse skyrocketed at his proximity, and made a slight adjustment to his bowtie. 

“There” She said “your tie was crooked.” Barbara knew that she should take a step back now, but her brain was too busy being occupied with other matters. Like just how vividly blue Dick’s eyes were up close.

Dick’s cheeks were a faint shade of pink, but his lips quirked into a familiar grin, and his voice was causal as he spoke. “How long ago did you notice?”

“Right when you first walked up, it had been driving me insane ever since.”

“Of course you did, you’re always so observant.”

Dick’s tone was so deeply sincere that Barbara couldn’t help but feel a warm flush of pride at the compliment. “Not usually when it comes to you, Dick Grayson. I’m afraid you can be very distracting.”

Dick laughed “Yes, well ‘distracting’ is sort of what I aim for. Hence the pixie boots and yellow cape.”

Barbara gazed into Dick’s eyes (which were still very beautiful, very blue, and very much the epitome of distracting), trying to remember just why exactly she was there. 

Then the car horn honked, startling Barbara so much that she nearly leapt into the air, her combat instincts kicking in. She glanced over her shoulder and saw her father gazing stonily at them from the car, one hand hovering ominously over the horn. 

She drew back from Dick, suddenly very flushed and very aware of just how close they had been standing to one another. Her dignity, it appeared, was really and truly all but gone at this point. 

“We really should get going. I think my dad is getting impatient.” 

Dick smirked. “You think?”

Barbara sighed “Please try not to irritate him. I’d hate for this evening to end with you getting arrested.” 

Dick planted his hands on his hips, mock-insulted “I’ll have you know that your father likes me just fine, Barbara Gordon.”

“I wish I shared your confidence. Just be careful what you say to him.” 

“You know me Babs, careful as can be.” 

Barbara couldn’t help but roll her eyes a little at that. “If there is one thing you are not, Boy Wonder, then it is careful.” 

“Who knows? I might surprise you.” Dick offered Barbara his hand, and, after a moment’s hesitation, she took it. After all, it wasn’t like her father witnessing the two of them holding hands could be any worse than him witnessing the two of them staring into each other’s eyes like love-struck soap opera stars. 

And besides, Barbara thought as they walked to the car, there was something immediately comforting and… natural about the feeling of her fingers intertwined with the Boy Wonder’s. It was a sensation that she could get used to.

♥

When they reached the car, Gordon was there waiting for them, now leaning against the passenger side window.

His eyes traveled to Barbara and Dick’s clasped hands, and he raised an eyebrow. Barbara felt herself bristle under his scrutiny, dropping Dick’s hand as quickly as she could. 

“Dad, this is Dick. Dick, this my dad, Commissioner Gordon.”

“You must be Grayson.” Gordon said, extending a hand towards Dick in greeting. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” 

Barbara couldn’t help but notice her father’s emphasis on the word “finally”, but Dick seemed either oblivious to or unperturbed by it. “It’s nice to meet you too, Commissioner Gordon. Thank you for driving us.” he said, shaking Gordon’s hand enthusiastically. 

If Dick thought he would get response to his greeting from Gordon, then he apparently had been wrong to expect one. Instead, Barbara’s father simply stood there in silence, surveying them both with an expression that could only be described as deeply skeptical. 

“Well!” Barbara clapped her hands together, her voice high and falsely cheerful “Now that we’re all introduced, it’s probably time for us to get going. Wouldn’t you agree, dad?” 

Both he and Dick moved to open the door for Barbara at the same time, resulting in an extremely awkward, completely silent stand-off. Gordon glowered at Dick, who was still smiling amiably, more amused than angry, and yanked the car door open, waving Barbara inside with a terse gesture.  
The silence continued as she and Dick seated themselves inside the car and Gordon fired up the engine, pulling out of the driveway and away from Wayne Manor. Barbara kept glancing surreptitiously at Dick out of the corner of her eye, partly because she wanted to make sure he didn’t say or do anything stupid and partially because, well… even her better instincts had never been opposed to admiring the Boy Wonder’s profile. It was the same thing she had done many nights while they were out on patrol together, always thankful that it was too dark for him to notice. 

Dick caught her staring and grinned at her, waggling his eyebrows ridiculously. Barbara rolled her eyes at him, but was unable to stop herself from cracking a smile in return. For the first time all evening, she began to relax a little. Naturally, it was at that exact moment that her father chose to speak. 

“So Dick, how did you and Barbara meet?” Gordon asked, his voice somehow simultaneously nonchalant and loaded with subtext. 

“We sort of ran into each other at work.” Dick said, ignoring Barbara as she shook her head at him, unable to contain her horror. Instead he just smiled at her, his eyes sparkling with laughter. Oh god. He thought he was being _funny_. Had he somehow forgotten that her father was a cop with years of interrogatory experience?

“That’s funny,” Gordon said in a tone that was anything but amused “I don’t remember ever seeing you around the library.”  
Suddenly Dick’s smiled disappeared. “Well, uh…”

“Dick’s not a regular employee of the branch dad,” Barbara interjected quickly, her mind racing to concoct an explanation that her father would find plausible “He was delivering some newspapers for the archives when we struck up a conversation.”

“And the rest is history.” Dick concluded cheerily. _Thanks_ he mouthed silently. 

Barbara just shook her head. _Don’t thank me yet._

That had just been her father’s idea of a warm-up, he still had a plethora of questions for Dick to answer. And answer them he did, all while maintaining an irrepressible levity that Barbara knew must have driven her father crazy. Barbara knew because that same cheerfulness had also driven her crazy when they first met. Sometimes it still did, but lately she had started to find it kind of cute. Maybe that meant she really _had _gone crazy.  
Much as the exchange mortified her, Barbara also couldn’t help but listen with interest as Dick answered her father’s questions about ordinary, everyday life. She had never known if he liked school (he did, usually, although he couldn’t stand math), or if he played any sports (he didn’t, not formally, although he did enjoy the occasional game of basketball. __

__She and Dick had learned all of the important things there were to know about each other after a year of acquaintance- they knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses, their greatest fears, that they could rely upon one another to save each other’s lives, to even sacrifice themselves for one another if ever came to that. They knew each other, really knew each other in way that Barbara and some of her closest friends still didn’t know each other, but when it came to the trivial details of their alter ego’s lives, they were almost strangers._ _

__However, Barbara realized that she didn’t want it to stay that way. She wanted to talk to Dick about her life- to share anecdotes and gossip from the library and the gymnastics team, to rant about her days at school. They should spend the next date they went on together conversing. Or at least, if there ever was a next date, she reminded herself._ _

__Barbara caught Dick’s eye, and suddenly feeling brave, reached out and squeezed his hand reassuringly. They smiled at each other, and Barbara felt confident that, in spite of how her father felt, no matter how tonight went, there probably would be a next date._ _

__“We’re here.” Gordon said._ _

__Barbara turned to look out that car window and realized that her father was right. She had been so distracted with everything take place inside the car, that she had scarcely noticed their destination, the glamorous Fallon Hotel, looming out of Gotham’s skyline._ _

__The Fallon was its own unique fusion of the sleek, modern buildings and ancient Gothic structures vying for control of Gotham’s skyline, pairing large plate glass windows with gargoyles and an elaborate wrought iron marque. The sidewalk in front of the hotel was filled with teenagers dressed in gowns and tuxedos, some just now stepping out of cars and limousines, others milling around and socializing, waiting for their friends to arrive.  
Barbara could spot friends and acquaintances in the crowd, and realized that there was no avoiding it, she would probably have to introduce them all to Dick. Her two lives, the ones she usually fought so hard to keep separate, were about to meet, and she would be willingly aiding in the collision. Just what had she been thinking?_ _

__“Thank you so much for driving us dad.” Barbara said, trying and failing to keep her voice from belying her nervousness “Remember, pick up is at 11:30.”_ _

__Gordon nodded, his expression softer than it had been so far all night. “You two have a good time. Make sure to take lots of pictures!”_ _

__“We will! Thank you again for everything Commissioner!” Dick turned to Barbara and offered her his arm. “Ready?”_ _

__After a moment’s hesitation, Barbara took it. “Ready”. Really, she had faced no small share of terrifying things as Batgirl, what was going to prom with the boy she liked in comparison to that?__

__♥_ _

__The walk from Gordon’s car to through the front door of the hotel was relatively uneventful. Barbara and Dick moved seamlessly through the crowd of teenagers with been recognized by anyone. Barbara had plenty of friends, but she had never felt a particular need to know everyone in her grade. After all, there was strength in anonymity, much better to be unknown and underestimated than to constantly be in the spotlight._ _  


__“So,” Dick asked, “where to?”_ _

__“We’re supposed to meet my friends inside the lobby.” Barbara tried to keep the nervousness she suddenly felt squirming in her gut from infecting her voice, but she doubted that she did a very convincing job of it._ _

__“Well, after your dad, I’m pretty sure I can handle anything.” Dick’s voice was light, but Barbara could sense a genuine undertone of reassurance.  
Barbara sighed. “Really I don’t know why I’m even worried. Of course my friends will like you, you’re annoyingly charismatic like that.”_ _

__Dick laughed. “I’m not sure whether I should take that as a compliment or an insult.”_ _

__“Both, of course. You’re very good at provoking emotional extremes.”_ _

__“I can’t help but feel like you’re speaking from experience here.”_ _

__“What? Me?” Barbara batted her eyelashes innocently._ _

__Dick snorted. “Well I guess at least-”_ _

__“Babs!”_ _

__“Babs over here!_ _

___Barbara turned, instantly recognizing the voices of her friends, Nat Thomas and Alice Liu. They were standing just a few feet away- Nat with her date, Sam Lowell, and Alice with her girlfriend, Megan Bryant. All four of them were waving enthusiastically in Barbara and Dick’s direction._  
Barbara smiled and waved back. “That’s our cue!” She whispered to Dick, grabbing his hand and leading him over to her friends.  
Barbara smiled shyly as they approached, suddenly self-conscious. Introducing Dick to her friends felt like sharing a part of herself which they had never seen before with them and waiting to be judged for it. 

__“Hi guys, this is-” Before Barbara could finish, Nat had enveloped her in a giant hug._ _

__“It’s so good to see you Babs!” She said, rather louder than was required given their close proximity._ _

__She drew back, and Barbara took a giant breath, eager to fill her lungs with oxygen once again. Nat’s hugs were not for the faint of heart._ _

__“And this must be your date?” It was Alice who spoke this time, eying Dick critically. Barbara hoped he didn’t take it too personally, Alice was naturally suspicious of everyone._ _

__Barbara nodded. “This is Dick, everyone. Dick, meet Nat, Sam, Alice, and Megan.”_ _

__Dick flashed them all his brightest grin. “It’s nice to meet you all. Any friends of Babs’ are friends of mine.”_ _

__Her friends responded with a chorus of variations on “nice to meet you too”, and Barbara noticed with a small burst of happiness that they all seemed to really mean it._ _

__Alice’s brow furrowed as she examined Dick’s features closely. “You’re Bruce Wayne’s son, aren’t you? I’ve seen you in the _Gazette_ before.”_ _

__“Kind of. I’m his ward actually, Bruce adopted me.” Dick’s tone was friendly enough, but it didn’t exactly invite further inquiry._ _

__Barbara had known this conversation had been coming- her friends were too intelligent not to put two-and-two together- but she was still a little afraid of where it might lead them, if only for Dick’s sake. She knew how much he hated having to relive painful memories._ _

__“Wait, who are your parents then? What happened to them?” Nat blurted out, and Barbara cringed internally. Much as she loved her friend’s blunt honestly, she sort of wished right now that Nat had at least a modicum of tact._ _

__But Dick’s smile didn’t waver, and he sounded just as causal as ever when he replied. “My parents were circus performers- trapeze artists- who died in the middle of a routine. Bruce adopted me.”_ _

__Nat eye’s widened. “Oh… I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.”_ _

__“It’s okay, like you said, you didn’t know, and that was a long time ago.” Dick really did seem completely unaffected by Nat’s question, but Barbara knew him too well to believe that. His parents’ deaths didn’t weigh on him constantly the way they did for Bruce, but the memory still stung._ _

__“Do we want to head inside then?” She asked, eager to change the subject._ _

__Megan nodded, taking Alice’s hand. “Let’s go.” Nat and Sam chimed in, concurring._ _

__They all turned to walk towards the entrance to the ballroom, chatting and laughing as they went. Megan started recounting some anecdote full of impossible twists and turns that had Barbara giggling uncontrollably. Nat and Sam were already dancing to the music emanating from the ballroom entrance, enthusiasm making up for what they lacked in skill._ _

__“He’s cute. I like him.” Nat stage-whispered to Barbara in typical Nat fashion, so loud that Dick, who was standing just a foot away, could easily hear her._ _

__Barbara smirked, “Yeah, I kind of like him too.”_ _

__She watched happily as Dick stifled a small grin, his cheeks pink._ _

__They had reached the main door to the ballroom, and after presenting their tickets for inspection, were allowed entrance. The room was an overwhelming sea of people, drenched in color lights, all moving in time to the music blasting from speakers strategically placed around the room.  
Sam and Nat instantly plunged headfirst into the crowd, dancing with abandon, calling out to acquaintances whenever they spotted them. Alice and Megan followed soon afterwards, moving with a bit more deliberation. But Dick and Barbara lingered there in the doorway for a little while longer, taking it all in. _ _

__“See?” Barbara said, moving to stand next to Dick and slipping her hand into his, “Nothing special.”_ _

__Dick shook his head, beaming. “I can think of one special thing about this dance.”  
“What would that be?”_ _

__He leaned in close, close enough that, in spite of the people shouting and music blaring all around them, Barbara could easily make out his words as he spoke. “You’re here with me.”_ _

__Barbara felt herself flush to her toes, but she didn’t care, not now. She was too busy being carried away on a wave of sudden, overwhelming happiness._ _

__“Come on,” She laughed, pulling Dick into the crowd “Let’s dance, Boy Wonder.”__

__♥_ _

__The next hour was a whirlwind of swirling lights, thunderous music, and happy voices. Barbara and Dick danced until they were both laughing, sweaty messes._ _  


__“Want to take a break?” Barbara suggested, wheezing slightly._ _

__Dick nodded in agreement, and together they staggered back out into the lobby, which was filled with teens who had ducked outside to temporarily escape the dance.  
They found a quiet corner on the other side of the room, and Barbara collapsed to the carpet, peeling off her high-heels. _ _

__“God these things pinch.” She said. “I will never understand how some women can run around rooftops in them.”_ _

__“Women are strong as hell.” Dick said, joining her on the carpet._ _

__“That indeed they are.” Barbara said, absently resting her head on Dick’s shoulder. She could get used to this._ _

__“You’re quite the dancer, Babs.”_ _

__Barbara grinned. “Ten years of ballet lessons will do that for you. But you’re not too shabby yourself.”_ _

__“Well, circus upbringing and all. Acrobatic routines aren’t that different from dancing when it comes down to it.”_ _

__At his response, Barbara suddenly remembered, with a sinking heart, the conversation that had taken place right before they had entered the ballroom. “Right… look, Dick, I’m sorry about what Nat said earlier. She means well, she really does.”_ _

__“You have nothing to apologize for Babs. Your friend didn’t know, and besides, I’m used to it by now.”_ _

__“I’m sure you are, but I’m also sure that it is still hurts.”_ _

__Dick sighed. His eyes were tinged with sadness, a sadness that Barbara knew was always there, no matter how well he usually hid it. “You’re right, it does hurt, every time. But that doesn’t mean that you have to tip toe around the subject. I’ll never be able to let go of the past if I don’t face it.”_ _

__“I kind of know how you feel. People are always so careful not to mention to my mom, but I don’t see what difference it makes. She left, and refusing to talk about it won’t change that.” Barbara surprised herself with the honesty of her reply. Of course Dick knew that Barbara’s mother had abandoned her and her father, everyone knew, but Barbara had never discussed it with him._ _

__Dick’s expression sympathetic, he wrapped his arms around Barbara, a gesture that managed to be both awkward and comforting. “That must have been really hard for you Babs. I’m sorry I never really thought to ask you about it.”_ _

__Barbara waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t be. I can’t exactly miss something that was never there. My mom was barely a part of my life, dad’s the one who raised me to become the person that I am today.”_ _

__“You do two do share a lot of qualities. I guess I’m lucky that hatred of me isn’t one of them.”  
Barbara smirked at Dick, unable to resist teasing him as she replied “You’re kind of making an assumption there. Maybe I’ve decided that I do hate you, how would you know?” _ _

__“Oh I have plenty of reasons to believe that you don’t hate me,” Dick chuckled, “But, maybe I should make sure, just in case.”_ _

__He rose to his feet, extending a hand to help Barbara up, and jerked his head in the direction of a nearby door marked _Stairs._ “Race you to the rooftop Babs.” _ _

__“You’re on, Boy Wonder!” Barbara grabbed Dick’s hand, but instead of letting him help her up, she pulled him downwards, throwing him off balance._ _

__“Oof- hey!” Dick cried out, but Barbara was up in a flash, hiking her skirt up to her knees and racing towards the stairs._ _

__Barbara careened up the stairway, the concrete stairs cool beneath her bare feet as she took them two at a time. It really was a good thing that she had taken off those heels. She could hear Dick behind her, gaining fast, so Barbara increased her speed, not caring as her hair began to fall out of its perfect ringlets and her makeup started to run. She passed the sign for the 15th landing, good, just five more to go._ _

__And then suddenly Dick was soaring past her, having launched himself over the railing on the landing below. He somersaulted through the air with the kind of grace and propulsion that only a born acrobat could manage, landing a few feet in front of Barbara._ _

__She glared at him, huffing as she raced to catch up. “Not fair!”_ _

__“After that dirty trick you just pulled, I’d say all bets are kind of off!” Shouted Dick as he ran, making a beeline for the door at the top of the landing with the words _Roof Entrance_ printed on it._ _

__Barbara caught up to Dick just he had reached the door, barreling into him right as he was pushing it open. She had lost control of her momentum, and together the two of them went tumbling out on to the rooftop, landing in a heap of tangled limbs._ _

__Barbara lay there for a moment, the wind completely knocked out of her. She was sprawled on top of Dick in a way that usually would have made her blush, but was far too tired at the moment to care._ _

__“Well,” Dick panted, still out of breath “I think… that we can both agree that I won, fair and square.”_ _

__Barbara “In your dreams, Boy Wonder. That was a tie.” She rolled to the left so that she and Dick were lying side-by-side, giving him a playful shove._ _

__Dick just grinned “Tell yourself that.”_ _

__“So what did you drag me up here for anyways?”_ _

__“Well for one thing, to look at the stars.” Dick gestured up towards the night with his hand._ _

__Barbara shook her head in disbelief, “You can barely see _any_ stars from here, the city lights are so bright.”_ _

__“Yeah okay, so maybe the stars were just an afterthought. But the view really is something, isn’t it?”_ _

__Barbara rose to a sitting position, surveying their surroundings. The Fallon’s roof stretched on for quite some ways all around them, a flat expanse of concrete punctuated by the occasional entrance or air conditioning unit. Beyond that was Gotham in all its nighttime glory- a seemingly endless sea of skyscrapers illuminated by hundreds of lights. For all the dark dealings that took place within its streets, the city truly was beautiful, a sight like no other._ _

__“It really is.” Barbara smiled, remembering the first time she had soared above that skyline, swinging on a length of batline, the cool night air in her face as buildings rushed past in a blur of shapes and lights. Even after all that she had seen and done in this past year, nothing could come close to the thrill of that moment._ _

__“Want to dance?” Barbara asked the question impulsively, speaking so abruptly that she surprised even herself. She stood hastily, offering Dick her hand._ _

__Dick seemed bemused by the sudden request, but after a moment’s hesitation, he took Barbara’s hand, his features back in their usual cheerful expression “Sure! Who needs music or a proper location anyways?” He teased._ _

__Barbara felt her cheeks warm “I just thought that it would be nice, what with the view and all. But if you think it’s so stupid, then we don’t have to…” She trailed off, glaring at Dick._ _

__She moved to let go of his hand, but he held fast, eyes imploring. “Wait, Babs. I didn’t mean…” In all the time that Barbara had known Dick, she had never seen him so flustered. “I’d love to dance. Here. With you.”_ _

__“Oh.” Barbara cleared her throat, running a distracted hand through her hair. “Good. Shall we then?” She placed her hand on Dick’s shoulder, her stomach fluttering slightly as he slipped one arm around her waist._ _

__They moved awkwardly at first, stumbling over one another’s feet, nearly tripping and falling a few times. But, as time went on, they fell into an easy rhythm, their steps becoming graceful as they waltzed across the rooftop, each anticipating the other’s every move. Fighting was a dance of its own, after all, and Barbara and Dick had plenty of practice fighting side-by-side._ _

__Their surroundings gradually faded away, until the only thing Barbara could focus on was Dick, looking the loveliest she had ever seen him, his smile brighter than all the city lights combined as they twirled and pivoted. When they had danced in Fallon’s ballroom downstairs, they had been surrounded by people, caught up in a crush of gyrating teenagers. Dancing with Dick now felt different, far more formal, and far more intimate._ _

__“I like this.” Dick said at last, breaking the comfortable silence that had enveloped them as they danced. “We should do this every night.”_ _

__Barbara laughed. “I think Bruce might take issue with us dancing instead of fighting criminals.”_ _

__“Oh yeah, I can see him now” Dick lowered his voice in an imitation of their mentor’s gravelly tone “We don’t do this for fun. And we certainly don’t dance.”_ _

__The impersonation was so spot on that Barbara couldn’t help it, she snorted, tears welling in the corner of her eyes._ _

__Dick grinned, then promptly began to cough uncontrollably, “I’ll never… understand… how he does that… for more than five seconds…” He rasped._ _

__“Dear god Boy Wonder, you sound terrible. Are you okay?”_ _

__Dick smiled weakly, shaking his head as if to clear it. “I’m fine. Besides, it was worth it to hear you laugh.”_ _

__“To hear me snort?” Barbara couldn’t help but ask, skeptical._ _

__“That snort was singularly beautiful, just like you, Barbara Gordon.”_ _

__Barbara rolled her eyes. “Oh now you’re really laying it on thick.”_ _

__“Hey- I mean it!”_ _

__“Sure you do… listen, Dick?” Barbara suddenly realized that their dancing had slowed, so that now she and Dick were almost at a halt, their faces just a few inches apart._ _

__“Yeah?”_ _

___Where do we go from here?_ The words were right there on the tip of Barbara’s tongue, waiting to be asked. This night had been perfect yes, but she wanted to know that it wouldn’t be the only one, that she and Dick would dance together again, and again, in the months, maybe years to come. But this moment was so wonderful, so perfect, that Barbara had no desire to ruin it with such a serious question. _ _

__“Never mind.” She said._ _

__“Well,” Dick said, his fingers, brushing Barbara’s cheek, titling her face so that she was peering right into his eyes, “I have something to say.”_ _

__“Oh really?” Barbara took a step closer to Dick, fully closing the gap between them._ _

__“I believe you owe me a kiss.”_ _

__Barbara felt a faint smile tug at the corner of her lips. “I don’t owe you anything, Dick Grayson. But I do really want to kiss you.”_ _

__And so she did, standing there on a hotel rooftop, hundreds of feet above the ground, barefoot, in the moonlight. Like that night, like most of her experiences with Dick so far, it was impulsive and unexpected and imperfect, and, in its own strange way, perfect._ _

__The future would come, and Barbara knew that together she and Dick would face it when it did. For now, there was only this moment, this kiss. For now, there was only the present.__

__♥_ _

__  


# (Not) The End

____

## Epilogue

__“Behind you Former Boy Wonder!” Barbara shouted, sending a batarang hurtling through the air right as Dick ducked, the projectile whistling just past his head to hit the riffle-totting crook who had been creeping up from behind head on._ _

__The man dropped his gun with a howl, his hands going to the vividly colored bruise now swelling into existence on his forehead._ _

__“Thanks.” Dick kicked the criminal’s legs out from under him without a backward glance, sending the man toppling to the ground in an undignified heap._ _

___Not that you needed it_ Barbara thought to herself. These D-list mobsters were so bad that it was almost insulting._ _

__“Any other takers?” Dick asked, his tone casual as could be as he carefully side-stepped the myriad unconscious forms now littering the hotel suite._ _

__“Just those guys.” Barbara cocked her head to where the only two remaining crooks stood, backed into a corner. Both still had guns, but neither looked all that eager to use them, in fact, both men seemed rather cowed by the sight of their fallen comrades._ _

__“Why don’t you guys just call it a night?” Dick suggested to the gunmen, “I promise we’ll make sure you’re conscious when the GCPD escorts you to Blackgate.”_ _

__At those words, both criminals seemed to grow a little spine, shaking their heads defiantly and raising their riffles. “Boss told us you’d come looking for evidence here.” One of the thugs growled, “Neither of you is leaving this room alive.”_ _

__“Says the guy who just saw us take down ten of his colleagues without breaking a sweat.” Barbara muttered to Dick out of the corner of her mouth._ _

__Dick sighed, completely unfazed by the men aiming guns right at him. “It would be nice if they were at least creative with their threats. I mean how many times have we heard that one?”_ _

__Barbara felt a faint grin tugging at the corner of her lips. She had missed this._ _

__“I’ll take left if you take right.” She whispered to Dick._ _

__He nodded “Deal.”_ _

__They moved in perfect sync, lunging forward just as the two crooks opened fire. Barbara dodged her opponent’s fire with ease, disarming him with a perfectly aimed batarang and engaging him in hand-to-hand combat. She and Dick fought with their backs to one another, no more than a few feet apart, so close that Barbara was almost as conscious of his movements as she was of her own._ _

__In moments like this, everything that had ever happened between Barbara and Dick seemed to fall away, the entire world boiled down to just the two of them fighting side-by-side. Fighting clarified things, eliminated all the messy parts of their relationship, leaving only a mutual sense of reliance and trust. No matter how much their lives might change, no matter how much _they_ might change, Barbara knew that she could always count on Dick Grayson to have her back.  
Barbara’s foe hit the ground just a few seconds before Dick’s did, and just like that, the world snapped back into focus. The fight was over, and Barbara couldn’t help but feel like she and Dick had lost something. She would never willingly seek out danger for the two of them, but she still missed the simplicity of facing it together. If only things could always be that easy._ _

__“Well that was a complete waste of time.” Barbara groaned. “We still aren’t any closer to finding any evidence linking Councilman Harris to those deaths.”_ _

__“On the bright side, there are now a dozen hitman no longer at the disposal of Gotham’s crime bosses.” Dick said, always the optimist._ _

__“Like these mob movie rejects would have been a problem for the GCPD anyways.”_ _

__“Speaking of the GCDP, we should probably call them to come pick up these guys.”_ _

__Barbara gestured to her cellphone. “Way ahead of you, Former Boy Wonder.”_ _

__Dick smiled. “Of course you are. And let me guess, you encrypted the call so they can’t trace it back to your private number?”_ _

__“You know me so well.” Barbara spoke without thinking, not realizing how flirtatious her words sounded until after they had left her mouth. What the hell was she doing flirting?_ _

__“I hope I do.” Dick’s tone was achingly sincere._ _

__Barbara couldn’t meet his gaze, instead she fiddled with the pins of her cape. Five years of history between them, and the slightest interactions with Dick Grayson still made her feel like a hormonal teenager. It really wasn’t fair._ _

__She took a step back, turning so that she was no longer facing him. “We should get going.”_ _

__Barbara stepped through the suite’s double glass doors, out onto the balcony. She didn’t sense Dick’s familiar tread, light enough that she doubted few people outside of herself and the rest of Batman’s allies would recognize it, behind her. She turned to see what the problem was._ _

__Dick was still standing in the hotel room, his expression slightly forlorn. He almost looked like he was about to say something else, but he seemed to decide against it, nodding in agreement instead. “You’re right, we should.” He followed Barbara out onto the balcony, and they scaled the side of the building together in silence._ _

__“Funny, isn’t it?” Dick asked when they had reached the hotel rooftop._ _

__“What?” Barbara was almost certain that she knew the answer, but she asked the question anyways._ _

__“That Harris chose The Fallon of all places as one of his safehouses. The place where we…”_ _

__“I know.” Barbara’s thoughts were suddenly far away, on this same rooftop with the same person, but on a different night, and in very different circumstances. It seemed so long ago now._ _

__Dick laughed faintly. “That was one of the most terrifying nights of my life.”_ _

__Barbara stared at him, unable to hide her surprise. “Really? You seemed so carefree and at ease that night.”_ _

__“Really.”_ _

__Barbara smirked. “I know dad was pretty awful to you, but I didn’t realize that you actually took it that hard.”_ _

__Dick shook his head, grinning. “Oh no, it wasn’t your dad that scared me. It was you Babs. I mean, the most intelligent, brave, beautiful girl I knew had asked me to prom. I could hardly believe it, and I was so afraid of messing up somehow.”_ _

__Dick’s tone was so sincere that Barbara had a hard time meeting his gaze. She stared at the scuffed toes of her boots instead, trying to figure out how to respond. “I… wow. I never thought of you as the nervous type, Former Boy Wonder.”_ _

__“I’m usually not. But you’re kind of the exception to everything, Barbara Gordon.”_ _

__Dick was standing very close to Barbara now, and she knew that he was thinking of how they kissed on this roof during prom. It had been the perfect ending to a perfect night. But this night was anything but perfect, and Barbara knew better than to expect it to have a perfect ending._ _

__She stepped away from Dick. “I should go.” She walked towards the edge of the rooftop, reaching for her grappling gun._ _

__“Barbara, wait…” Dick was suddenly next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Please, can you just tell me, where are we?”_ _

__“We’re on the roof of the Fallon, or at least you are, I was just leaving.” Barbara hadn’t meant for her voice to sound so snappish._ _

__“That’s not what I was asking. I mean-”_ _

__“I know what you mean, Dick” Barbara cut him off. “And the truth is that I don’t know.” She sighed. “Things are… complicated right now.”_ _

__“Things are always complicated for us.” Dick’s voice was gentle. “That doesn’t mean we can’t try.”_ _

__Barbara suddenly felt very tired. “I just… I don’t want to lose you again.” She said, pulling Dick into an embrace, burying her head in his shoulder._ _

__He seemed a little shocked by the hug at first, but he soon returned it, wrapping his arms around Barbara. “Hey, it’s okay.” He said. “You’ve never lost me Babs.”_ _

__They stood there like that for a moment, wrapped up tight in each other’s arms, neither of them speaking, just gazing out at the surrounding buildings._ _

__“I’ve missed this most of all.” Barbara murmured._ _

__“What?”_ _

__“Watching the city with you.”_ _

__“So have I.”_ _

__Barbara really had no idea how to respond to that, she was too busy trying to ignore the way her heart had begun to flutter._ _

__Dick smiled softly. “What,” he asked, slowly withdrawing from Barbara’s embrace “would you say to getting some dinner?”_ _

__“I would say that’s 2:30 in the morning and I have class tomorrow, Former Boy Wonder.”_ _

__But Dick was insistent. “Come on, it’ll be fun! We can go to takeout place across from GCPD headquarters, just like we used to. And besides,” His expression became more serious “we need to talk honestly. About us, I mean.”_ _

__Barbara threw up her arms in a gesture of surrender, smiling in spite of herself. “You’re right, we do need to talk. It’s a date, then.”_ _

__“A date, you say?” Barbara couldn’t see Dick’s eyebrows beneath his mask, but she was sure he had raised them. She had gotten quite used to recognizing that expression by now._ _

__Barbara laughed. “Don’t get too cocky. This is still very much a tentative thing.” She planted a quick kiss on Dick’s cheek, the thrill of it rushing all the way to her toes._ _

__Then fired her grappling gun and ran for the edge of the rooftop, Dick just a few feet behind her. The two of them both swung off the edge of the rooftop, smiling, the city lights rushing to greet them._ _

# ( Definitely Not) The End

____


End file.
